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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A solid comeback , March 20, 2009
For 'Industry Giants,' the original lineup returns in full for the first time since 1998's "Head Trip in Every Key." And while I won't place this ahead of my still-favorite "In the Valley of Dying Stars," it is definitely a solid comeback effort, especially for a group that has not recorded together in over a decade.
Some highlights - "Try," "Cheap Poltergeists," "Everything'll Be Made Alright," and "Live and Breathe." A couple of misses come in "Ready to Go" which seems to suffer from a lack of enthusiasm considering the title. And "5 Minutes Ahead" is a change in style (for the worst in my opinion).
If you're a Superdrag fan, buy this. There is no reason not to. If you aren't a fan, it's not too late. Also check out the single/video "Aspartame" on one of their websites. Overall, "Giants" leaves the listener with high hopes for a continued Superdrag career.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great effort from Superdrag, June 19, 2009
I would say this album ranks right up their with their best work, such as "In The Valley of Dying Stars" and "Regretfully Yours." Mind you I wouldn't want to order Superdrag's output as to which is the best (because they're all pretty good) but this CD has definitely quickly become one of my favorites. I think it is a bit better than "Last Call For Vitriol" which I believe was the album previous to this one (released right before John Davis decided to try a solo career for a few years.) Listening to some of the lyrics I think "Industry Giants" is relevant to what is going on in the world today ("I want peace and safety for the kids in Kandahar"), but also can be enjoyed without noticing references to current events.
I am also impressed that John Davis (I am assuming he wrote most of these lyrics) has been able to express some of (what I believe are his) new-found religious convictions without losing any of the Superdrag edginess. In fact, on this album that edginess seems to have been cranked at least five-fold... And the lyrics have what I would call a definite gothic feel to them. So the CD seems to have religion thrown into it perhaps a bit more than previous CDs, but without sounding sickeningly sweet when addressing the topic (which is how a lot of religious-oriented pop or rock seems to me.)
Also it is nice to have the dude with the `fro back in the band from the "Regretfully Yours" era (not sure what his name is.) I think it's him singing on some of the songs where the gravelly, guttural voice takes over--which is something I didn't like at first but which later grew on me. It's almost like it could be the voice of the God or the Universe (perhaps in a very different sound quality from what we would expect) transposing itself occasionally into the album as the meaning of the lyrics begin to take shape. Anyway, may sound dumb to describe it that way, but it is a nice effect to have such a strange-sounding alternate vocalist occasionally appear like that, and really contributes to the overall artistic impact of the album.
I think the album title might be a reference to the "stupidity" of the non-alternative masses (people who like Britney S. & Jessica S., for example) who ignore a great band like Superdrag in the same manner that they usually miss seeing ants on the ground. It reminds me of the band A-ha who are ubiquitously known for their hit "Take On Me" but none of their subsequent (and continuing) output has been appreciated. Ah, the fickleness and ignorance of the masses! (since in my experience some of the best bands don't necessarily achieve a ton of popularity.) So I guess you could say Industry Giants is yet additional awesome underground rock courtesy of Superdrag... Hope you enjoy the CD!
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Little Giant, May 3, 2009
Superdrag's "Headtrip In Every Key" CD was probably my favorite release by them with songs like "Do the Vampire" and such, so I should have listened when reviewers said this CD is nothing like that - they were right. Even though it has the same lineup as far as band members go, the sound is a lot heavier and not as poppy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, just not my cup of tea. If you're looking for "Headtrip" part two, this CD ain't gonna do it. "Giants" does have its hooks, don't get me wrong - and the wall of guitars is still there - it's just made of bigger bricks.
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